


Match Made In...

by Lady_of_Moon_Over_Silver_Seas



Series: The Course of True Love... [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cheating, Daily Prophet, F/M, Forced Marriage, Ginny Weasley Bashing, Good Draco Malfoy, Incest, Incestuous Pregnancy, M/M, Molly Weasley Bashing, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Harry Potter, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Parseltongue, Pining, Post-Canon, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pregnancy, Revenge, Rituals, Ron Weasley Bashing, Sibling Incest, Slow Burn, Smart Hermione Granger, Soul Bond, Werewolf Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23645305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Moon_Over_Silver_Seas/pseuds/Lady_of_Moon_Over_Silver_Seas
Summary: The other side of Best Man...
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley/Ron Weasley
Series: The Course of True Love... [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1702291
Comments: 28
Kudos: 221





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sakura_lisel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakura_lisel/gifts), [YaoiGoddess12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaoiGoddess12/gifts).



Harry closed the front door of Grimmauld Place with restrained aggression. “Fucking Weasleys.”

His blonde housemate blinked, before poking his head around the open door to the living room, “You alright Potter?”

“No I’m bloody not.” He strode into the room and sprawled on the sofa, a snarl still pulling at his lips.  
“What happened?”

“ _Apparently_ Weaselette is pregnant.”

“Maybe that should be Rabbitette then.” Draco shot a concerned look to the other as he set his book aside, “Why does that affect you?”

“You obviously didn’t read the Prophet this morning then.”

“Oh?”

“Skeeter was gushing about the Wedding of the Century.”  
“They didn’t?”

“They fucking did.”

“I don’t suppose you thought to make a Vow?”

“Like anyone ever believes me when I tell the truth?” Harry shot his friend a deadeyed stare.

“True.” Draco grimaced, “Besides, if you want to get out of it might be best if they think you’re playing along, at least for the moment.”

“Slytherin.”

“Always Potter, always.”

* * *

Harry groaned, his head buried in his arms as Kreacher took a great deal of delight in cooking what smelled uncannily like rancid cabbages, _‘It’s like being back at Mrs Figgs’.’_ “Why?”

“Master should know better than to drink that much.”

Draco wandered back into the kitchen, a book held in front of his face, interrupting the brewing standoff. “I might have a solution to your problem Potter.”

“Really?” Harry shot upright in his seat, only to wince as his hangover took its cue to resurge.  
“Given the lack of Potterlings wandering about, I’m assuming you’re still a virgin?”

“ _MALFOY!_ ”

“I’ll take that as a yes then. Good.” He handed Harry the book, its burgundy cover emblazoned with the Black Crest. “Have a read of page thirty-five.”

“The Nemesis Ritual?”

“Mhm.”

“How does that help me escape?” Harry paused, “Though revenge is getting more and more appealing.”

“Think about it Potter.”

“Explain Malfoy.”

“Honestly. It’s a reversal Ritual. You bind yourself to another, and as a result, the Contract those you name in the Ritual seek to bind you with recoils upon them.”

“I’d still have to marry someone!”

“Not necessarily. It’s a binding, not a marriage Ritual Potter. It takes the form of whatever Bond you and the other already hold, merely permanent. Its based on the Bloodbond used by the Ancients. If you and I were to use it for example, we would most likely be bound as brothers in the eyes of Magic.”

“Most likely?”  
“Well, if we were to have hidden feelings for each other, I suppose it might reveal itself in another form. But those involved have to be untainted.”

Harry swallowed, green eyes scanning over the pale face of the man before him, “Fine.” He paused, “Um… would being a former Horcrux be an issue.”

“No.” Draco grimaced, “Though that is something I sincerely hoped was hyperbole Potter.” He sighed, “It means untainted as in unbonded. So virginal, and not sharing a Bloodbond with anyone else. It takes the form it needs to when the Ritual is formalised. So it might be a Vinculi Fratribus,” he paused at the confused look on the other’s face, “Bonding of Brothers Potter, or a Virginal Marriage, that is a Virgo Supernaturaliter Nuptias. It just depends on the emotions held by the two in the Bond when it gets initiated.”

“Oh.” Harry frowned, “So why does it call upon Nemesis then?”

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, “Because it’s as much about reversing the effects of your enemies’ actions as it is about a Bond between those you and someone you trust. Besides, would you want me to call upon Venus or Aphrodite? Because those are the two Goddesses most often used in this sort of Ritual, and that would definitely make it a Marriage Bond.”

“There’s no God of Friendship?”

“There is, but Philotes is a minor Goddess, and the Rituals involving her are less powerful and less likely to rebound on the Weasleys’ sufficiently. The Ritual I’m trying to get you to agree to use, calls upon Nemesis and whichever of the Gods and Goddesses best fits the Bond you and your Bondmate agree to use.”

Harry sighed, staring at the man he’d come to trust with the end of the War, “Fine. What do we need to do?”

Draco blinked, “We?”

“Can you think of anyone else I can trust right now?”

“Good point.” Draco sighed, quickly masking a hurt expression before Harry spotted it. “Purification. Luckily tonight is the halfmoon. Take a bath now. Squeeze a lemon into the water, and add a cup of salt to it. Make sure you wash yourself as much as you can. Use the goatmilk soap I gave you.” He paused, “Kreacher?”

“Master’s Guest calls Kreacher?”

“Find me a pair of Ritual Robes. Clean, undyed linen would be best. Leave a pair in Potter’s bathroom and put the other in mine.” As Kreacher popped out, Draco turned back to Harry, “I assume you know where to find the Ritual Room?” At the nod, he continued, “Good. Meet me there at Moonrise. Wear the robe, and don’t put anything on your body that I haven’t mentioned. Put your wand somewhere safe before your bath and leave it there until after we’ve started the Ritual.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ritual Begins... will Nemesis answer their call?

Harry stared at the door of the Ritual Room, _‘What the fuck am I doing?’_

“Oh good. You’re here.” Malfoy smirked at him as he swung the door open, revealing a chalked circle outlined on the floor, bundles of herbs placed in bowls at the cardinal points. “Take a seat to one side of the circle’s centre. Put your back to the Western Point. Don’t disturb the lines.” He paused, “Don’t talk until I join you; I have to make sure I get the runes aligned correctly.” Harry grimaced, but nodded, and the two of them stepped into the room, the door swinging silently shut behind them.

Harry carefully stepped forward, making sure not to disturb the markings on the black marble floor as he made his way to his assigned seat. Malfoy waited until he was seated before he made a slow examination of the runes he’d traced earlier, finally coming back to a halt where he’d started. He lit a bundle of sweet smelling incense and made the circuit once more, the smoke from the incense gathering outside of the runes as Harry watched on. As Malfoy passed each of the cardinal points, he laid one of the incense sticks within the bowls, causing the herbs to start to smoulder, until he finally returned back to the beginning betwixt the Northern and Eastern Points, and stepped into the circle, sinking to his knees in front of Harry’s own position. He gave a slight reassuring smile, and pulled a silver blade from within his robe. He held out his hand for Harry’s and made a slicing cut across his palm, holding it tight as Harry sought to yank it back, before letting seven drops hit the stone between them, only to mirror the action with his own hand. He laid the bloody knife to one side, and held out his bleeding palm to Harry, who reluctantly grasped it, as Malfoy began to chant in what Harry thought _might_ be Latin, his voice moving fluidly over the syllables as Harry watched in shock, his magic rising to mingle with Malfoy’s own. “Rogamus autem vos, et Daughter of Justice, balancer tenebris viam vitae. Quærimus inténde cherub. Curabit nos. Adiuva nos quaerere justitiam nocet, quia non merentur. Auxilium nostrum in catenis ligatum labuntur illi autem putaverunt enim poterant credere per circuitum nostrum. Nec quaero vincula et vicissim digni essent qui pondus tuae seriem nobis accidat. Vinculum utriusque formae quicquid cordis, quod suos amicos, fratres. O cherub rogamus, ne alios suscipiamus fidemque se consequi ad conclusionem.” Malfoy flashed him a quick smirk, before Harry’s voice joined his, a braided band of silver and green magic now bound about their clasped hands, “So mote it be.”

The flames died out in a sudden release of the building magic, and they shared a shocked look, before falling unconscious, the strands of their magic now twisting invisibly between them, as their hands fell apart with their loss of consciousness. Harry let out a soft snuffling noise, and unknowingly wriggled closer to the warmth beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google Translation for Draco's chant, as my Latin is not up to that level:  
> We call upon you: the Daughter of Justice, the dark faced balancer of life. We seek your aid, o winged one. Bind us. Help us seek justice for harms we do not deserve. Help us slip the chains tied about us by those we thought we could trust. Reverse the bindings we neither seek nor deserve and let the weight of your blade fall upon those who would chain us. Let the Bond take whatever form our respective hearts desire, be that lovers, friends or brothers. We beseech you o winged one, let us receive that loyalty from one another that others would chain us to gain.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry groaned as he woke up, shifting closer to the warmth at his back, and tugged the blankets over him more. At the low growl behind him, and the pulling of the blankets back, he froze… only to launch himself upright. “What the Hell Malfoy!?”

Draco groaned, “Five more minutes Dobby.”

“Draco.”

“Mhm…” Draco snored softly. Harry frowned at him, and promptly shoved him off the bed. “OI!” Draco froze, glare melting into an almost kittenlike look of confusion, “Why are you in my bed Potter?”

Harry glared at him, “I think you’ll find it’s my bed Malfoy.”

“What?” Draco glanced around, registering the slight increase in size of the Lord’s Suite and sitting up, the tangle of blankets slipping to reveal his usual pyjamas when he glanced down to check. “Ah. So… why am I in here?”

Harry frowned, “Last I remember we were doing that ritual. Then I was waking up to you in my bed.”

Draco froze, face turning paler than usual, “Um.”

“What?” Harry frowned as his voice came out softer than he’d intended it to.

“You _sure_ you don’t have any hidden affections for me?”

Harry froze, swallowing the instinctive denial, knowing Draco wouldn’t ask him that without good reason, and thought through his response, “I don’t think so, but even if I did, you don’t hold any for me. So it doesn’t matter.”

Draco’s expression melted from worry to nausea, “Right.” He closed his eyes and forcibly erected his Occlumency Barriers, “We’d best check to see what Mark Nemesis chose to brand us with.”

“Mark? Like the _Dark_ Mark?” Harry demanded.

Draco rolled his eyes and pulled himself upright, keeping his eyes from the scarred expanse of torso visible amongst the Tyrian Purple silk Kreacher insisted on using on the beds in the Family Wing. “Yes and no Potter. Yes in that it’s a Mark showing the formation of a contract. No in that it doesn’t force either of us to the will of the other or do us any harm. It’s just a sign of the contract’s existence.”

* * *

Draco locked himself in his room. His perfect posture melting away to show the stress pooling in his gut. “What the Hel happened? Kreacher wouldn’t have put us in the same bed without reason. Fuck.” He stormed over to his mirrored changing room and started stripping, his pyjamas flying out into the main bedroom through the unshut door. “Where is it?” He glared at his reflection, instinctively keeping his eyes away from his forearm, where Greyback’s bite still defaced his flesh. “Merde.” The curse slipped from his lips as his eyes snapped back to the scarred arm. The bite was no longer the angry red of the active werewolf curse that he was so used to seeing, and was now a shade of pale silver, barely standing out against his skin. He lifted the arm and ran the fingers of his other hand over the skin, “What…” his eyes flickered shut, “of course. We asked her to loose the Chains placed on us by others.” He sighed and resumed his examination, amused to see the curse scars his aunt left him had also faded, only to finally find the tattoo on his back, between his shoulder blades. “Oh shit.” A Gryffindor red twisting tattoo blazed between his shoulder blades, twisted through with gold. “Potter’s going to kill me. It’s a Serch Bythol. Fuck.” He snarled and stormed to his closet, ripping out a robe for the day, only to freeze with it half on. “The Bond is supposed to take the form we instinctively desire it to…” a giddy, disbelieving smile spilt across his lips, “Gods…”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A further explanation of the ritual and its consequence...

Harry stared after Malfoy as he almost ran from the room, _‘What the Hell is his problem?”_ He groaned, rolling over and dragging himself upright. “Why do I feel more hungover than when I was actually hungover?”

“Nasty Half-blood Master is dehydrated. Nasty Half-blood Master should drink more water.”

Harry swore, spinning around to see Kreacher glaring at him from where he was already making the bed. “Uh, right. Thanks Kreacher.”

* * *

Harry twisted before the mirror above the bathroom sink, trying to see if he had any unexplained marks, since Malfoy seemed insistent there would be. _‘I can’t see anything.’_ “Fuck.” Harry spun to leave, only to spin rapidly back around as he noticed a flash of red on his back between his shoulder blades, “Oh. Huh. It’s kinda cool. Wonder what the colours mean.”

* * *

Potter sunk onto his seat at the table, giving Draco an almost giddy smile, causing him to immediately slam his Occlumency barriers back into place lest he mirror the expression. “So when should we expect the ritual to start having an effect?”

Draco blinked, staring at the other, “Did you even read the book I gave you?”

“Yeeess?”

“Sure you did.” Draco groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Right. First off, how do you feel? Healthy? Ill? Dizzy?”

Potter blinked, “Hungover honestly.”

“That will be the first sign of it working then.” He rolled the sleeve of his shirt up to reveal the scar from Greyback’s bite, “I’m fairly sure I’m cured.”

“Huh.” Potter reached out, running his fingers along the wound, “It’s not warm.” At Draco’s puzzled look, he continued, “Last time I saw it, it was hot, almost like the infection was still active. If anything its cooler than the rest of your skin.”

Draco blinked, staring at the tanned fingers running over his pale skin, “Um, right. So, we asked Nemesis to loose us from the binds laid upon us by others, and to strike back at those others in turn. Arguably my curse was a bind, so Nemesis started with that one for me. You on the other hand, don’t visibly have anything going on with you, but if the Weasel Pack are willing to force you to marry the Weaselette, then it wouldn’t surprise me if you have something else going on.” He grimaced, “Honestly we should have dealt with them before we did the ritual, but we were under a bit of a time crunch if we want to have enough time for the ritual to take full effect before your wedding.” At Potter’s glare he smirked, carrying on, “There’s a potion we can do to check for anything wrong with you, but the ritual should have dealt with them safely enough… it’s intended for the participants to survive, and since I’m not feeling overly drained, it obviously didn’t need to pull on the bond we forced to form.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Draco grimaced, “Anyway, the worse you feel, the worse Nemesis judged their actions and the faster they’ll be hit with her judgement.”

Draco gulped at the smirk suddenly spreading across Potter’s face, “ _Good._ ”

Draco launched himself to his feet, gulping down the last of his tea in spite of the manners his mother trained into him, as he did so, “Right. You want to investigate the symbol?”

Potter froze, staring at his hand somewhat absently, “Sure. Let’s do that.” He muttered as he dragged himself after the antsy blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, hope the chapter makes up for it :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some select Weasley viewpoints on what's going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head's up... incest alert. I'm boosting rating to M just because I squicked myself out and don't want to get in trouble, even if I don't think its graphic enough for the M rating.

Ginny hummed happily under her breath as she ran the brush through her hair, helping spread the cranberry oil through the mass, as she beamed at her reflection. Her gingery hair now glowing with a more healthy red tone as she rose from her chair and slipped her dressing gown from her shoulders, a hand stroking possessively over her still-flat stomach as she was pulled giggling onto the bed.

**INCEST WARNING**

Ginny giggled as Ron ran his hands under her nightgown, letting him tug it over her shoulders, and sinking back against him naked. ”Well?” he smirked up at her, his hands running over her body as she settled over his clothed erection.

“Mum checked, and I’m definitely pregnant.” She smiled down at her lover, “The baby should be due early May.”

Ron beamed at her, “Brilliant… now…” his left hand slid down to her crease as the other ran over her nipple, “shall we?”

**INCEST WARNING OVER**

* * *

Molly hummed along with the radio, which she’d quickly turned up louder when the groans started echoing down, as she made a list of the preparations required for the wedding, “Red and gold of course, and it’ll have to be a strawberry cake for Ginny.”

* * *

Ginny lay back on her bed, Ron passed out behind her, a pleasant ache between her thighs as she fantasised about her soon-to-be wedded life. _‘We’ll live in Potter Castle of course. But I’ll have to have it redone, since no-one’s lived there in fifty years. I’m sure Harry’ll let Ron live with us, they’re best friends after all, and he knows what Mum can be like. We won’t need to share a bedroom of course, I’m already pregnant, and I’ll make sure Harry adopts the baby after its born. We can name it James, and then it’ll feel even more his. Of course I won’t let him get me pregnant, but he can adopt any kids I do have. I wouldn’t let a virgin like him touch me if I don’t have to, the wedding night will be bad enough. Why does the bonding magic require it?’_ She pouted in what she thought was a coquettish manner as she shifted slightly, swallowing down a sudden bout of nausea. _‘I might let Malfoy in my bed though, those fingers… mmm. But Harry has far too many scars to be attractive. We’ll have to make sure the wedding’s soon though, don’t want anyone thinking I look fat. Of course Grimmauld Place will have to be revamped to be suitable for use as well. I can take my other lovers there, don’t want to get Ron jealous.’_

* * *

Molly smiled at her daughter the next morning, as she came downstairs, a livid bruise visible on her neck, “Ron still asleep?”

“Yep. He looks really out of it.” Ginny grimaced at the sight of the cup as her mother passed it to her, but dutifully drank the ginger tea, “Dad not home?”

“No, he ended up working late with that project he’s got on with the twins. Fred flooed to tell me he was staying the night.” Molly passed her daughter a plate of eggs and black pudding, before she took a seat opposite, the rest of the food waiting under a stasis until Ron woke up, “Any plans for the day?”

“Lavender invited me to a new spa that opened up a couple weeks ago. Apparently it’s got an amazing charcoal face treatment.” Ginny shrugged, taking a forkful of food, “And Cormac invited me over for the night as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Takes place over the same time period as the first few chapters... so essentially the squicky parts take place while Harry and Draco are working on the ritual


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rita Skeeter alert

Draco absently thanked Kreacher as he reached for the tea tray the elf had just brought into the library for them. “So the red stands for Nemesis then, what’s the gold for? Gryffindor?” Potter smirked at him, only to frown worried, as Draco started choking, “Malfoy.”

“Paper.” Draco gasped out, pointing to the Evening edition of the Prophet on the tray.

“Okay….” Potter frowned, lifting it up, only to cackle at the title article.

** Trouble in Paradise? **

**_by Rita Skeeter_ **

**Just yesterday the engagement of Geraldine Weasley and Harry Potter was announced, but already the cracks are showing. The announcement was delivered to the paper by Mary Weasley (the mother of Virginia) in place of either of the engaged couple, odd considering Harry is an investor in the Paper, but odder still are the reports of Harry paling and looking nauseous when he was spotted reading the article early yesterday in a café in Diagon Alley. Now today we find young Galla Weasley wandering the Alley unescorted by her fiancée, and instead accompanied by Conrad McClaggen, former Gryffindor Teammate of both Harry and his future bride. Said pair were seen giggling and disappearing together into a private room of the Gilded Slipper. Neither were available for comment.**

**So it appears that the relationship is not as secure as we said to believe. Holly Granger, long-time friend of both Harry Potter and his soon-to-be brother-in-law Arnold Weasley had this to say, “Harry’s engaged? You sure? I thought he was gay.” Upon further inquiry, she blushed and explained, “I just assumed that was why he and Draco were living together, I’ve been waiting for him to tell me.” So if Harry is gay and living with former Death-Eater (and son of Wizengamot Member Lucius Malfoy) Draco Malfoy, why has his engagement to another been announced? Is this just the latest chapter in the Malfoy-Weasley feud? Or is there something deeper going on? This reporter will find out.**

Draco finally caught his breath and smirked at the expression on the other’s face. “I think the ritual might be kicking in.”

“No kidding.” Potter breathed out, still shocked by the contents of the second paragraph, “Hermione spoke to the Press.”

“Wait, really?” Draco moved to lean against Potter’s stiff shoulder as he skimmed the article. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”


	7. Chapter 7

Harry hiccupped, passing the bottle of Elfwine back to his drinking partner, “Why are we drinking again, Mal Malfoy?”

“Weashleys.” Draco managed.

“Right.” Harry stared up at the constellations etched on the ceiling of the drinking parlour, “Stupid Weasleys.”

“Yesh.” Draco frowned, taking a healthy swig, “Sho whose the fa.. father?”

“Huh?”

“Weashley brat.”

“Oh.” Harry frowned, “Dunno.” He patted the blonde head next to him, “Can we find out?”

“Needsh blood.”

“Eashy.”

“Il um… not ‘lowed.”

“Oh.”

“Why?”

“Huh?” Draco rolled over to squint at him.

“Why not ‘lowed?”

“Bri’sh lawsh dumb.”

“Oh.” Harry launched upright, lurching slightly as the room spun, “Tapeshtry!”

Draco groaned, “What?”

“Black Tapeshtry! Saw Weashley’s on there.”

Draco blinked, “I.” He pointed to the Tapestry, “Am very drunk.”

Harry frowned from where he leant against Draco, “I alsho am very drunk.”

* * *

  
  
Harry frowned down at his breakfast, before raising his head to meet Malfoy’s eyes, “Do you remember checking the Black Tapestry last night?”

Draco opened his mouth to answer, frowned, and then opened it again, looking ill, “Weasel and Weaselette?”

“That’s what I thought I saw.” Harry grimaced, “Any chance it was a shared hallucination?”

“Merlin I hope so.”

* * *

Draco glanced at a green Potter as he followed his finger to the Weasley branch of the Black Tree, “Not a hallucination then?”

“Nope.”

“Gross.”

“Agreed.”

Draco frowned, cocking his head, “What do you think their plan is? I mean, an Inheritance Test would show it isn’t yours, so…”

“Is there any way to adopt a child into a Bloodline?” Potter turned to look at him, blatantly avoiding looking back at the Tree.

“Yes, but they’re highly illegal.” At the puzzled look, he elaborated, “Blood Magic, Potter.”

“Ah.” Potter shot him an amused look, “And the odds of a good Light Family using them…”

“Are we talking officially, or truthfully?” Draco smirked at him, “Officially only a Dark Wizard would willingly use Blood Magic… etcetera etcetera. Truthfully, the only thing Dark about Blood Magic is the way the Ministry looks at it. It’s mostly Healing Spells with some Warding tossed in. It was all rendered illegal about sixty years ago.”

“When Dumbledore came to power?”

“Pretty much, yes.” He cocked his head, scanning back over the Tapestry, eyes tracing down past his own line on the Tree, before giving himself a shake, “Feel like giving Madame Skeeter a tour of the renovated Ancestral Black Home?”

Potter grinned, “Why not. Though it might pay to ask her to hold off on the father’s name for a while.”

“Oh?” Draco glanced at him, “Having Slytherin thoughts are we?”

“Absolutely.”


	8. Chapter 8

Ginny smiled sweetly at the reporter, and gave a girlish giggle, “So, you see, it was all a misunderstanding. Cormac’s an old friend and wanted to get my opinion on a business proposal before he presented it to my fiancée.”

* * *

Harry ignored the well-wishers as he strode through Diagon, heading straight for Gringotts. _~Ssstupid Sssilver-Ssscalesss. Why couldn’t he come with me? Not like I wouldn’t trussst him in my Ssstorage-Den, but no…. I have to ssseal it to keep Fire-Many-Matesss out myssself. And why did he have to mention Mating-Promisssesss… now I have to check for thossse two. Ssstupid. Ssshould visssit Fire-Missschief’sss den before I return. Punisssh him that way… but no… Fire-Many-Matesss might have him onssside too.~_ He glared at the reporter who attempted to interrupt his hissing as he strode through Gringotts’ front door. _~At leassst Beetle-Ssshell got the photosss we wanted, and ssshe agreed to keep it sssecret til the Wedding Day.~_

* * *

** McClaggen-Potter Investment Deal? **

**_by Parvati Patil_ **

**Rumours circulated as to the reason for the future Lady Potter’s secluded meal with Cormac McClaggen (Nephew of Tiberius McClaggen, Owner of McClaggen’s Mature Menagerie), but it appears the truth is not so sordid as the rumours. Instead of a cheating fiancée, our Man-Who-Lived is instead looking to invest in an Adult Entertainment space. Curious, considering his public reputation… cont. on pg. 7.**

** Grimmauld Place Nomore! **

**_by Rita Skeeter_ **

**Grimmauld Place (as the correct name for the Ancestral Black Townhouse) has been described as many things over the years, (“rundown mess full of Doxies and Black Magic” – Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt; “a cage really, a rundown mess of all my worst memories. All it needs is the Dementors!” – Sirius Black in a Journal Entry from the Biography penned by his godson; “horrible and dust-filled, but the first place I ever felt wanted” – Harry Potter in a foreword to the previous), but never before has it been photographed by the Press – no doubt to the infamous Black Paranoia. Today however, Harry Potter, the current Castellan of House Black (until such a time as he marries someone with more Black Blood than he, or takes the Name officially), welcomed myself and my photographer in, to unveil the renovations he and the Heir Malfoy (incidentally next in Line for House Black after Potter himself) had made to the property, and what changes they were… cont. on pg. 3.**

** First Comes Love. Then Comes Marriage… **

**_by Rita Skeeter_ **

**Rumours are abounding as to the sudden unveiling of the engagement between Harry Potter (Lord of House Potter and Castellan Black, Saviour of the Wizarding World) and Gemima Weasley (Daughter of the Disgraced House of Weasley), but none can say quite why. “Harry and Ginny dated for a bit, but they broke up before the War hit Hogwarts” – Neville Longbottom (Lord of House Longbottom). “They looked good together; like his parent’s reborn” – Martha Weasley (Wife of the Head of the Disgraced House of Weasley). “I don’t know why they dated. Ginny was obsessed with him, but Harry was always more focused on Malfoy. Always wanting to know what he was up to, who he was with… honestly I was surprised they lasted as long as they did” – Hermia Granger (Best Friend of Harry Potter).**

**So with all these different opinions, is it any wonder people are surprised? Lord Potter hasn’t been seen to date anyone since his Victory over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, more focused on fair trials for those on both sides of the War Effort, and clearing his godfather’s name. So, was Garcia Weasley secretly dating Lord Potter through all this, or is there something else going on? And why the rush? The traditions require at least a year after the announcement of the engagement to allow for the Contract Negotiations to take place, and to ensure the Marital Home can be prepared. While arguably Lord Potter’s renovation of Grimmauld Place could fulfil the latter requirement, it is still highly irregular. The last time a breach such as this took place was the marriage of Maggie and Archil Weasley (Genevieve Weasley’s parents), which resulted in the birth of Wilfred Weasley seven months after the wedding. This begs the question, is there a similar reason behind the haste of the Potter-Weasley Wedding? If so, how can a man who it is rumoured is unable to Sire a child due to the effects of the Killing Curse in infancy (as per his leaked medical records from the Hogwarts’s Infirmary), be the father of Gretel Weasley’s unborn child? Is there something else going on, or has our Saviour found a cure for his condition? And if the baby is not his, then whose is it?**


End file.
